Mon Viet Owners

One of the first businesses in Ben Thanh Plaza, Mon Viet Café, was created by a group of sisters, looking to honor their mother, “Mama Duong”.

Kimem Duong, her husband and their five daughters moved to America in 1992 from Vietnam. Mama Duong memorized over 200 recipes and passed them down to her daughters. In 2016, Chau Kim Phan, Candice Phan, Jackie Phan, Natalie Phan and Kelly Phan, opened the family restaurant, Mon Viet Café, fulfilling their mother’s lifelong dream.

“She wanted to share her recipes with the world. And while she isn’t part of the day-to-day operations, Mama Duong does come to visit, and her daughters continue the tradition of serving food,” Tinh Phan said. One of the sisters adding, “I love seeing the faces of people when they taste the food.”

Originally living in Arkansas, the family would come to Arlington to visit their relatives. While here, they noticed the area needed a good Vietnamese restaurant and decided it was the perfect place to make that dream come true. The family made the move and opened one of the first businesses in Ben Thanh Plaza.

“When we opened, we were maybe the third or fourth business in the plaza,” Tinh remembered. “This plaza and the community have grown and thrived, and it’s going strong. Far away from seven years ago, when we took a chance on this place.”

“We are lucky to be well known in the Vietnamese community now,” Tinh added. “We pride ourselves on being the restaurant that people bring their friends and family to, when they’re visiting.”

Mon Viet Cafe is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. They have started their Vietnamese New Year special, which is Feb. 10, offering 20% off between 2 to 5 p.m. until the end of February. They also offer a 10% discount to first responders and military. Two of their signature dishes that people know them for are the Pho Filet Mignon, which is a deconstructed pho. And their second dish they are known for in the Arlington community, is the steak and eggs.

Learn more about Mon Viet Cafe at their store, located in Ben Thanh Plaza at 1818 E Pioneer Parkway #182. Or you can visit the One Start Development Center, on the second floor at City Hall from December 18 – December 22, 2023, during Small Business Promotion week. The City’s Planning and Development Service Department is also hosting Customer Appreciation Week during the same time and will be providing refreshments and bottled water for the customers visiting the Small Business Promotion table.

The City of Arlington is highlighting minority-owned and/or women-owned small businesses throughout 2023. Canales Furniture, another Small Business of Arlington, who has grown substantially in the last few years, wants to give back to the community and is sponsoring this program with the Planning & Development Services Department for the year 2023. In their new headquarters at 102 E. I-20 Highway, they have dedicated a training room for their growing community, including free English-speaking classes, citizenship classes, and teaching small businesses on how to utilize social media as a marketing tool.